Magic Without Mercy by Devon Monk

Magic Without Mercy is the eighth and penultimate book in the Allie Beckstrom series.  Here is the blurb.

Allison Beckstrom’s talent for tracking spells has put her up against some of the darkest elements in the world of magic, but she’s never faced anything like this.

Magic itself has been poisoned, and Allie’s undead father may have left the only cure in the hands of a madman. Hunted by the Authority–the secret council that enforces magic’s laws–wanted by the police, and unable to use magic, she’s got to find the cure before the sickness spreads beyond any power to stop it.

But when a Death magic user seeks to destroy the only antidote, Allie and her fellow renegades must stand and fight to defend the innocent and save all magic….

Wow…..this series is one of my favourites and this book is my favourite in this series.  I am always championing it, introducing it to others and trying to get people to read it.  I cannot get across how good it is and if you have not read it and you love UF please go out and get hold of the first book.

Magic Without Mercy picks up immediately where Magic On The Line left off.  Magic has been poisoned and the Veiled are infecting people and killing them and Allie and her friends have gone rogue and turned against the Authority.  They are on the run desperately trying to find a cure for Magic and desperately trying to stay alive.

Even though this is book 8 in the series I still marvel at the world that Ms Monk has created for us.  The Magic that is used is so inventive and beautifully described, especially now Allie cannot use Magic but she can see all of Magic.  The characters are fantastic too and it has been great getting to know them over the years they feel like friends now.  I have to give a special shout out to my man Shamus Flynn or Shame as he is known.  I have loved Shame for some time but in this instalment he really shines.  Shame isn’t your typical heartthrob he leaves that to Allie’s boyfriend Zay, in fact he is described as a scrawny Irishman.  But he is so cool and laid back, he dresses in black, smokes, drinks and uses Death Magic and is my favourite character by far.        

Everything is coming together now in this series building to the last book.  Ms Monk reminds us of things that have happened in previous books as she ties up all loose ends.  We are given a bit of a teaser from Jingo Jingo about how everything so far has been strategically plotted and manipulated by Daniel Beckstrom, but this could of course by a lie by the evil child killer.  It will be interesting to find out anyway.  I was hoping for more information on Allie as suggested in the earlier books with her father taking memories from Allie for years and keeping secrets from her and I hope we get to see this in the final book.  I was very lucky that I got this book a few days early and I hope I get the next book early too like months early as I NEED to know what happens next.  Magic Without Mercy is a totally brilliant book and my favourite of the year so far.  Allie Beckstrom fans will not be disappointed and I am going to give it 5 stars.